• » print
• » report
• » email

As a little girl I had to grow up quick.

I had a disabled mother and a father that abandoned us. Life was tough but thanks to St Margaret Mary Church and Pappas Maitland Ligget Rexall Drug store we made it and were able to stay together.

I was attending St Margaret Mary School and when my father left us. They were foreclosing on our home,turning off the electric and water and phone.Thats when the church, school and the drug store stepped up and supported us for quite some time.

I was put through school at no charge at all and was given all my uniforms and books.

I ate lunch at the convent every day with the Nuns from the order of The Sisters Of Christian Charity.

Shoes were bought for me by the Priests,they would pick me up and take me for shoes and ice cream at the Yum Yum Shop on Park Ave.

Every Thanksgiving we were the family they did the food basket for and every Christmas we were the ones that got the decortated tree and presents....I grew up ashamed and thankful  every year.

The drug store played a very important part in our surviving If my memory is correct it was Pappases then changed to Planks then to just Maitland Liggett Rexall.

Moms leg was open and draining to the bone and had to be slathered in a special salve

and bathed in a salt water solution three times a day which I did befor school,after school and befor bedtime.

It had to be packed with gauze and wrapped up in ace bandages.It was a horrible sight to see and the smell of it will be in my memory forever, She was on a lot of medications morning .midday and evening.

We were never charged for any of it and they delivered it all out to our house.

If I ever had to go in the store I was treated to old fashioned ice cream sodas and got to sit up on the stools that went round and round.

The church paid our bills until mom qualified for welfare and helped support us until I graduated eight grade.

Back then you only got $65.00 a month and our mortgage was $59.00

I know if it had not been for these wonderful, caring ,giving people I would have had to be put in a state home.

Instead I was allowed to remain with my mother who needed me.It would have killed her to give me up.

So this is a Thank You for giving us a chance in life and yes I try to pay it forward every day.

I am today proud to have been The Charity Family.

   Sassy